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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. shower — to wash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. capital — a city
  7. ground — a position
  8. pop — to visit
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. capital — money
  12. chair — a leader
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — the earth
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pop — soda
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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