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: squash · march · wave · rock · stock · pound · court · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — to crush
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. squash — the vegetable

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