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: cue · mate · charge · trunk · net · cell · pound · rock

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. net — in sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — a signal
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rock — a stone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. charge — in control
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — for catching

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