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 · charge · rash · stem · root · club · bass · cold

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cold — an illness
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — a series
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bass — low music
  24. charge — electricity

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