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: branch · pit · stock · bass · capital · land · rock · bore

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bore — to drill
  5. land — a country
  6. capital — money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — a division
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. capital — a city
  24. branch — of a tree

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