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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — rain
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — the fish
  24. shower — to wash

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