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: ball · coach · fork · tear · charge · mine · game · spell

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. game — a match
  5. charge — a price
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fork — in a road
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — belonging to me

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