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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. field — a subject
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stock — shares
  7. field — farmland
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bass — low music
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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