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: arm · coach · charge · trunk · cold · mug · current · date

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. date — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. current — happening now
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. current — of water
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — not warm
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — electric
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. coach — a trainer

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