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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — in control

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