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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rule — a law
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — a price
  7. object — a thing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — of ice
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — an aim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rule — government
  23. scale — in music
  24. fall — to drop

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