ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — a match
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — an aim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ground — a position
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com