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: racket · snap · charge · plane · land · club · kid · face

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kid — to tease
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — in control
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to click
  12. kid — child
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. land — ground
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — to point toward
  24. charge — a price

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