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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — low music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — a position
  23. stock — shares
  24. trunk — of a tree

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