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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. degree — from a university

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