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: mouse · bore · bat · bank · swing · tear · content · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. content — the amount
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — to drill
  14. swing — music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — goods
  24. bat — the animal

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