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: net · pit · last · trunk · rock · kick · charge · march

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. march — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — in sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. last — final
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. march — the month
  24. last — to go on

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