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 116 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: net · cap · cabinet · lie · stem · hand · leaves · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — of ice
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. hand — in cards

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