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: mate · rule · jam · band · net · bat · charge · pound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — a weight
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — for catching
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rule — government
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rule — a law
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — after costs
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mate — to breed

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