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: craft · bulb · stock · rush · degree · racket · lean · scale

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — shares
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stock — goods
  5. degree — an amount
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — boats
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — a skill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — size or range

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