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: net · file · date · season · charge · chair · bay · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a document
  13. chair — a leader
  14. date — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — in sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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