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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bass — low music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stock — shares
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — the amount
  24. squash — the vegetable

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