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: tube · rock · ball · wound · last · charge · fan · trunk

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — final
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a dance
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — to go on
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — a stone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — the underground

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