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: rule · charge · capital · jam · roll · branch · chest · clip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. clip — to cut
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — a price
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — a city
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — government
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. clip — a video
  22. branch — a division
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — electricity

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