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 · game · wound · arm · straw · tube · mine · calf

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. game — a match
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — a container

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