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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — electricity
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bulb — for light

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