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: lean · staff · craft · bass · rock · stock · degree · pound

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bass — low music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — a stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — boats
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lean — thin

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