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

Word bank: cue · fall · wind · charge · ruler · field

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. 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 — electricity
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — farmland
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. 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