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: club · cold · snap · present · kick · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. club — for dancing
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. kick — in football
  9. present — there
  10. cold — an illness
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to click
  16. club — a group
  17. cold — not warm
  18. present — the time now

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