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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. march — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — the month
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — with your hand

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