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: cell · cap · charge · row · leaves · bark · ground · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ground — the earth
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — a price
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — a phone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — in biology

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