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: jam · sharp · dip · net · spring · season · shower · charge

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — in control
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. sharp — clever
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — rain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — to wash
  24. spring — a coil

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