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: track · mate · court · chest · spell · dip · rash · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of a king
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — a price
  13. track — a song
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of law
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chest — a box
  24. spell — magic

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