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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — a division
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — of water
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — shares

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