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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. charge — in control
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — of ice
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bass — the fish

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