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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — in control
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cap — of ice
  15. charge — a price
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — to come from

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