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: mouse · stock · kid · swing · pit · charge · bass · march

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — shares
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — in control
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — a price
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — to play on

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