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: season · temple · wake · charge · saw · content · file · net

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — a price
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. content — the amount
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a document
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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