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: mate · pass · squash · clip · can · cell · object · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. clip — a video
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — to breed
  12. clip — to cut
  13. squash — the sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — in control
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — a tin

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