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: stem · charge · cap · current · fall · bass · sharp · perch

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cap — a hat
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — of water
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the fish
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fall — the season
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. charge — a price
  24. bass — the instrument

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