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: staff · mouse · lash · date · field · stand · fan · charge

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. field — a subject
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — an eyelash

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