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: chip · march · spell · board · jam · bass · straw · stock

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bass — the fish
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — a short time

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