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: land · charge · capital · firm · track · current · sharp · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — a path
  13. firm — steady
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — a company
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a city
  24. track — to keep track

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