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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — goods
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — shares
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fine — all right
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — to breed
  24. sharp — clever

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