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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — in music
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — letters
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. field — for sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. charge — in control
  17. field — farmland
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — a price
  23. swing — in golf
  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