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: straw · file · game · chip · bass · rest · stock · fork

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. file — a document
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — what's left
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — a match
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — for betting
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — low music

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