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: bass · land · cap · present · safe · rest · stock · current

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — low music
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — a break
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. land — ground
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — the fish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — happening now
  17. present — there
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — electric
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — what's left

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