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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pit — in a race
  3. charge — in control
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — there
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chest — a box
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — the time now
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — of a plant

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