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: game · mouse · stand · ground · bound · roll · charge · nail

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a match
  12. bound — certain
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a kind of play

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