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: cue · clip · tube · charge · staff · capital · bowl · perch

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — electricity
  16. staff — a stick
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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