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: perch · spell · sharp · charge · lie · net · ground · club

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — electricity
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — a price
  10. club — for golf
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — in control
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — for catching
  24. sharp — clever

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