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: tube · spring · pit · straw · swing · stock · game · bass

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — low music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. swing — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pit — a hole
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — a match
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — a coil

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