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 120 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: squash · stick · band · clip · racket · charge · fork · pitch

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitch — completely
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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