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: charge · net · arm · fan · mug · hide · key · leaves

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — to go away

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