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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — low music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — shares
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — to keep track

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