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: deal · clip · scale · cell · march · bank · rush · stock

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stock — goods
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — for paper
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — a video
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — a soup base

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