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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — a jug

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