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 120 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: chest · ruler · bound · wave · rash · mine · charge · foot

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — certain
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. charge — electricity
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — a series
  24. chest — a box

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