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: field · kid · bear · hide · pop · bulb · branch · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — in control
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. field — a subject
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — farmland
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. field — for sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — soda

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