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: charge · mug · sharp · cap · lash · field · temple · file

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — of ice
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — electricity
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — a subject
  15. cap — a hat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. cap — a lid
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. mug — to rob

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