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: bore · chair · rash · charge · kick · capital · chip · snap

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — in football
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rash — a series
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — to eat
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — a city
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — on the skin

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