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: mouse · charge · fan · capital · degree · trunk · cue · stem

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. capital — money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stem — to come from

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