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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — a price
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spell — magic
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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