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: press · field · mug · charge · fine · cap · dip · kick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fine — all right
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — in football
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — farmland
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — for sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — a lid

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