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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — low music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — music
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. field — farmland
  11. track — a song
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. track — to keep track
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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