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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — farmland
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — low music
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — 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