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: rock · fine · stock · wake · branch · scale · chest · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — a box
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chest — of your body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — a stone

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