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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — in control
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. capital — a city
  18. hand — in cards
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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