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: racket · charge · bowl · rule · prune · rush · bat · cap

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rule — government
  3. charge — a price
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. prune — the fruit

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