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: march · snap · hand · cap · bass · cue · charge · file

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — in cards
  7. march — music
  8. snap — to click
  9. cap — a hat
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. 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