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 120 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: ball · file · ruler · bat · pitch · stick · wake · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bat — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. charge — a price
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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