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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bass — low music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hand — in cards
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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