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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — of water
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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