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: mine · last · perch · rush · jam · charge · dip · present

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. last — final
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — there
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. last — to go on
  10. present — a gift
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to sink
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. charge — electricity
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — the fish
  20. last — finally
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — hurry
  24. jam — in traffic

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