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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. band — a ring
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — in music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a music group
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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