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: charge · bass · season · wind · can · wave · bowl · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — of the year
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — in control
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — electricity
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — of law

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