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: mug · leaves · charge · land · club · bore · cold · ball

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a face
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cold — not warm
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mug — to rob
  14. club — for dancing
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — for golf
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ball — a dance
  19. land — a country
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to drill
  22. club — a group
  23. land — ground
  24. cold — the Cold War

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