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: fork · charge · bass · stand · cell · club

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf

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