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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. press — to push
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — of a word
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cold — not warm
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — of a plant

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