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: club · pound · object · fork · chair · track

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fork — in a road
  5. object — to protest
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a path
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — a song
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. club — for dancing

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