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: roll · mine · current · plane · calf · land · charge · cap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — of ice
  4. roll — a list
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — ground
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. current — electric
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. roll — a cake
  23. charge — in control
  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