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: spell · game · fan · charge · wake · scale · wave · capital

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — a price
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. capital — a city
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — a big letter

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