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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bass — the fish
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. object — to protest
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. object — an aim
  24. row — to paddle

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