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: charge · pop · chest · plane · bound · file · patient · racket

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — a box
  8. charge — a price
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a line of people
  19. plane — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. charge — in control
  22. bound — certain
  23. file — a tool
  24. chest — of your body

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