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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — a division
  10. ground — crushed
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ground — the earth

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