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: chair · mine · charge · calf · chip · shower · perch · prune

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — to wash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chair — a leader
  13. shower — rain
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chip — for betting

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