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: cell · scale · wind · capital · cap · charge · bore · bear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. capital — money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — in music
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — a phone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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