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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ball — a great time
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — rain
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — in control
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. file — a document
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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