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: rest · stock · safe · mine · bark · pitch · bass · current

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — goods
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. current — of water
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — happening now
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — low music
  24. rest — a break

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