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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — low music
  3. season — of the year
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — electricity
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the fish

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