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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — of the year
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. current — electric
  22. game — a match
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — of water

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