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

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. current — happening now
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — in music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. scale — for weighing
  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