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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — in sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — a phone
  19. season — of the year
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. cell — in biology
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cell — in a prison

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