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: rash · net · charge · spell · roll · fan · bound · lie

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. roll — a cake
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — obliged
  10. charge — a price
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — tied together
  15. charge — in control
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — letters
  18. net — after costs
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spell — magic
  24. lie — an untruth

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