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: nail · rock · suit · pop · foot · last · charge · ball

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — a stone
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — in control
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. last — to go on
  19. charge — a price
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. foot — the bottom

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