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: game · swing · pitcher · kid · stem · firm · charge · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — all right
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. firm — decided
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — a price
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — steady
  19. swing — music
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — child

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