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: cold · mug · scale · row · charge · present · march · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — a price
  5. cold — an illness
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — size or range
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a face
  12. cold — not warm
  13. present — a gift
  14. charge — in control
  15. mug — to rob
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — there
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. charge — electricity
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. march — music

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