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: ruler · track · deal · bass · stock · fall · cue · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a signal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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