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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — a price
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — shares
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — finally
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — final
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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