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: bass · stock · kick · band · rest · mate · craft · net

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kick — in football
  3. net — for catching
  4. rest — a break
  5. band — a ring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — shares
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a music group
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — low music
  24. band — a rubber band

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