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: mark · charge · content · band · pass · bass · bulb · cold

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pass — a permit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — a grade
  14. charge — in control
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — the amount
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a music group

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