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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — a price
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — the fish
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — a box
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — of ice

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