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: court · stock · file · bass · present · bowl · band · cap

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a line of people
  3. court — of law
  4. stock — goods
  5. band — a ring
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — the time now
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — there
  15. file — a tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a hat

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