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: content · pitcher · charge · spring · fan · hand · drill · bass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — the amount
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — low music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. content — happy
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — a price
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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