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 · fine · rash · spring · staff · calf · pitcher · track

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — a series
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — of water

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