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: lie · kid · chest · charge · fork · board · present · fan

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. kid — child
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. board — a committee
  16. chest — a box
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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