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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — for sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — farmland
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — a price

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