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: march · plane · bass · perch · roll · fine · stock · fan

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. roll — a cake
  3. plane — a tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — shares
  9. march — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bass — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fine — high quality
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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