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: staff · wake · shower · charge · coach · foot · date · game

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — a match
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — a measure

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