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: pop · stem · file · charge · field · fork · rule · current

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — to visit
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — soda
  12. rule — government
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — for sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. current — of water
  22. field — a subject
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pop — music

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