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 120 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: bear · land · content · chip · can · charge · rest · prune

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — a break
  11. content — happy
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — a country
  16. content — the amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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