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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cell — in biology
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. shower — rain
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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