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: board · wake · staff · stick · scale · bear · fork · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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