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 · ball · content · roll · snap · fork · temple · kick

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — in football
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to click
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — in control
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — with a leg

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