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: lean · scale · coach · deal · charge · rule · kid · sharp

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — government
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rule — a law
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. charge — in control
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — to tease
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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