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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — thin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — for sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — shares

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