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: stock · current · swing · wax · face · present · object · bass

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — an aim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — to confront
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. object — a thing
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. current — of water
  24. present — there

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