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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · racket · mouse · cold · branch · bear · bass · lean

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bass — low music

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