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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — high quality
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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