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: mouse · cap · spring · roll · coach · land · firm · charge

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — of water
  11. roll — a cake
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — a price
  18. roll — a list
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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