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: rash · hide · racket · stock · saw · perch · cell · bass

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — hasty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — animal skin

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