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 120 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 · chair · mouse · rush · game · shower · net · bass

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. net — after costs
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. shower — to wash
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the fish
  20. charge — in control
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mouse — for a computer

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