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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — child
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kid — to tease
  14. charge — in control
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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