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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — a stem cell

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