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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — in music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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