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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — for catching
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — after costs
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — goods
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — help
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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