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: deal · clip · chair · bowl · capital · charge · mark · object

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — a price
  3. clip — a video
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. clip — to cut
  7. capital — money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — in control
  19. capital — a city
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — electricity
  24. clip — for paper

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