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

Word bank: stick · charge · net · chest · patient · bass · stock · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bass — low music
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — in control
  21. chest — a box
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. chest — of your body

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