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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · cell · charge · staff · march · rule · sharp · date

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in biology
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. cell — a phone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — exactly

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