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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. charge — a price
  22. chip — for betting
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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