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: charge · drill · swing · sharp · fine · bowl · wound · track

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — high quality
  5. charge — electricity
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. swing — to play on
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wound — an injury

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