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 116 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: drill · last · charge · chair · safe · rest · saw · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — army training
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. saw — the tool

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