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 116 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: staff · spring · charge · coach · bulb · chair · can · last

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spring — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — a price
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. last — to go on

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