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: charge · kick · tear · wound · club · rash · wave · bay

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — a series
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — in control
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. club — for golf

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