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: fork · drill · stock · chip · saw · club · spell · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. club — for golf
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spell — letters
  17. fork — in a road
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — a short time
  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