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: racket · hand · staff · hide · ruler · stock · bass · perch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

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