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: wound · foot · date · charge · face · mark · tube · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — a price
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — to confront
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — in control

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