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: game · staff · court · face · can · mate · charge · rule

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — for sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. game — a match
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — to be able to

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