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: field · stock · saw · stick · bass · mate · staff · hand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — for sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — help

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