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 120 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: spring · root · charge · capital · hide · chair · file · bowl

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. file — a document
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. root — of a word
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. chair — a leader
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. capital — a city
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — a coil
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spring — the season
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a dish

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