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: bass · capital · mine · prune · charge · pop · field · bark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. field — a subject
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — low music
  22. capital — a city
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — a price

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