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 · content · racket · field · drill · jam · lean · fan

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. drill — the tool
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. content — the amount
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. field — for sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — farmland
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — a practice

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