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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — boats
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — a country
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a skill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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