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: face · charge · stick · court · roll · mouse · mine · file

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. file — a tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — part of the head
  19. roll — a cake
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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