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: can · spell · bass · hand · race · leaves · fan · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — a contest
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — help
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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