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: current · rock · cap · fall · patient · press · charge · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — to push
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — happening now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — newspapers
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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