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: capital · shower · charge · mug · root · wake · cap · lean

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. root — the cause
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — rain
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — of a word
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mug — a face

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