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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — the amount
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stock — shares
  17. scale — in music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. pop — to visit
  21. current — electric
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bat — for baseball

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