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 · bank · key · season · straw · track · game · fork

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a path
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. track — a song
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — of a river
  24. charge — in control

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