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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — in football
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. field — farmland
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a ring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — a subject

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