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

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — a box
  7. spell — letters
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — low music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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