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 116 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: capital · fall · stock · bass · squash · rash · row · ground

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. capital — a city
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fall — the season
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — the earth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. capital — money
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — a line
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — the fish

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