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: last · bulb · file · court · charge · cap · date · object

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. last — to go on
  3. court — of a king
  4. last — final
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a hat
  8. date — the fruit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a document
  11. last — finally
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — a thing
  24. date — on the calendar

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