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 120 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: bound · charge · saw · tube · mug · fan · can · bat

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — obliged
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. can — a tin
  21. mug — a face
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — to cool the air

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