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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. field — for sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — a subject
  10. stock — goods
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. swing — to play on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. field — farmland
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bear — to put up with

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