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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. charge — in control
  7. last — finally
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — a city
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — to wash
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. capital — money
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — to go on

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