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 116 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: charge · rush · race · squash · saw · coach · march · tube

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — a contest
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tube — a container
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — electricity

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