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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. band — a music group
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — of ice
  11. squash — the sport
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a ring
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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