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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spring — of water
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — a coil
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — humankind
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — in control
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — the arms race
  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