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 · stock · pop · bass · chair · band · cabinet · leaves

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bass — low music
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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