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: stick · chip · chest · pitcher · can · band · club · cabinet

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chest — a box
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a ring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a music group
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. club — for golf

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