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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — in football
  9. can — to be able to
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — a group
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — for dancing
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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