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 116 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: press · cold · bass · snap · current · deal · ground · stock

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ground — a position
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. press — a publisher
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — to push
  18. current — of water
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cold — not warm
  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