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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. content — the amount
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. swing — music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — in control
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — clever
  23. content — happy
  24. bass — low music

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