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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — goods
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — a lid

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