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: race · fork · court · bass · clip · bound · stick · suit

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — for sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. race — the arms race
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. race — humankind
  20. clip — a video
  21. suit — in cards
  22. clip — to cut
  23. race — a contest
  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