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: suit · cold · bat · rock · clip · file · toast · charge

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a line of people
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a document
  13. cold — an illness
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. charge — a price
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cold — not warm

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