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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — to eat
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. bass — low music
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — the amount
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — in a computer

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