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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — farmland
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — low music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — shares
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. field — a subject
  23. bass — the fish
  24. swing — in golf

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