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: can · spell · bound · charge · racket · foot · stick · patient

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — a short time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — obliged
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — to be able to

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