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: degree · charge · bark · bass · board · chip · cabinet · tube

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. degree — from a university
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — temperature
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — an amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. board — to get on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — a flat piece

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