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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — a phone
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — a series
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tear — from crying
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tear — from crying

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