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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. season — of the year
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. net — for catching
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bass — the fish
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bass — low music
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — a line
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — in sport

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