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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — low music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — electricity
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. net — for catching
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. charge — a price
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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