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: lean · kid · fork · pop · mug · swing · race · charge

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — thin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — a contest
  6. kid — child
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. race — humankind
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — a price
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. race — the arms race

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