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 · present · object · cold · pop · wake · pound · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pop — music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cold — not warm
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pound — a weight
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — to protest
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — a price
  18. present — there
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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