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: ruler · fan · straw · cell · charge · fork · spring · capital

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. spring — the season
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. capital — a city
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. capital — money
  21. charge — in control
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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