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: shower · vault · face · prune · content · charge · roll · file

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. content — happy
  5. file — a tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. face — to point toward
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. vault — a safe
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — part of the head
  18. file — a line of people
  19. shower — to wash
  20. prune — to trim
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. file — a document
  23. shower — rain
  24. content — the amount

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