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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — in an idiom

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