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

Word bank: deal · lash · kid · present · court · land · rash · charge

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — ground
  5. court — of law
  6. kid — to tease
  7. court — of a king
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — a gift
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — for sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — to come down
  19. present — there
  20. kid — child
  21. rash — a series
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — a country

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