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: hide · branch · capital · mine · wound · spell · patient · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — money
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — magic
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. branch — a division
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. capital — a city
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a tree

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