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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cold — an illness
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — the cause
  21. row — a line
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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