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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. band — a ring
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — shares
  8. race — humankind
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a music group
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a song
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — a path
  24. current — happening now

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