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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — of a river

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