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: bank · charge · nail · fine · chip · game · wake · mug

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — a face

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