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 · cue · bore · pitcher · rush · row · swing · season

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. charge — a price
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a line
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. swing — in golf
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. row — to paddle

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