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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. file — a tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — obliged
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — goods
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — low music

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