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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a music group
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — wild animals
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a match
  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