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: rock · press · chip · land · charge · pitcher · ground · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — the earth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — in control
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — to push
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — in a computer

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