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: bass · branch · temple · charge · tube · cell · file · mug

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — a container
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — in control
  11. file — a document
  12. cell — a phone
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bass — the fish
  22. file — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — the underground

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