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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — newspapers
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — a coil
  9. track — a path
  10. row — a line
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a song
  14. capital — a city
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. spring — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — the season
  21. press — a publisher
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rock — to move gently

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