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: roll · bore · march · dip · bark · race · charge · cell

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. race — a contest
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. march — music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. race — humankind
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — in control
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to tire
  23. dip — to sink
  24. march — the month

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