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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — the underground

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