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: fan · cap · date · hand · ground · roll · bark · charge

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cap — a lid
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. roll — a list
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ground — a position
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — on a roll

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