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: current · cap · arm · stand · cue · charge · clip · content

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. current — of water
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cue — a hint
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — in control
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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