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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — high quality
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — in golf
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. bound — certain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — a measure
  17. roll — a list
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bound — tied together

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