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: chip · press · cap · perch · charge · coach · bowl · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. perch — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — a price
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — to push
  24. coach — a trainer

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