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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — of water
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — electric

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