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 120 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: saw · lean · charge · craft · drill · ball · net · band

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lean — thin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. band — a ring
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a music group
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — a price
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — boats

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