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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of a king
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — the season
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. staff — a stick
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — for sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  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