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: season · hide · march · wound · bass · craft · file · charge

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — in control
  3. season — in sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. file — a document
  18. march — the month
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — electricity
  24. file — a tool

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