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 · safe · roll · rush · capital · wound · mug · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — a price
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — a position
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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