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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — child
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stock — goods

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