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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · pound · bass · season · charge · field

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — for sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — farmland
  16. rash — a series
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — electricity

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