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 · race · spell · swing · chair · file · patient · track

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. swing — to play on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — the arms race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — a contest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — a leader
  22. charge — electricity
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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