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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — a price
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — an untruth

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