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: pass · chip · racket · lean · band · mouse · drill · stock

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — for betting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — to eat

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