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 120 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 · kid · rock · vault · rash · pass · file · game

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kid — child
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a document
  13. charge — a price
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kid — to tease
  16. charge — in control
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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