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: stock · bank · spell · track · rest · cap · bass · mine

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — letters
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spell — magic
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bank — for money

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