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: game · wave · prune · patient · stock · pop · rush · march

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — with your hand

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