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: charge · stock · stick · net · swing · bass · sharp · coach

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — in sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — for catching
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — 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