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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. root — the cause
  7. land — a country
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — low music
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — to come down
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — a permit
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — ground

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