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: wake · charge · bore · sharp · pop · jam · ground · march

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — soda
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pop — music
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — in control
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ground — a position
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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