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: kick · firm · stick · charge · root · rash · bowl · date

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. date — the fruit
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — the cause
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a word
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. firm — decided
  19. charge — in control
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a plant

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