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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — shares
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — goods
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a ring
  15. content — the amount
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — happy
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a rubber band

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