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: stock · ball · bass · perch · wound · plane · fan · rule

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — government
  14. stock — goods
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bass — low music
  19. rule — a law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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