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: calf · cap · board · charge · mine · file · capital · plane

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — a city
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a committee
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. capital — money
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. file — a tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. calf — a young animal

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