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: chair · rush · charge · present · mate · lash · foot · kid

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — the time now
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — there
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. foot — a measure
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — the bottom

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