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: rule · chest · bass · snap · stock · bore · track · ground

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. track — a song
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — goods
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. snap — to click
  16. bass — low music
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  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