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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — low music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cue — a hint
  24. key — for a lock

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