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 · stock · content · bound · bass · pitcher · lie · snap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. bound — certain
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — happy
  24. racket — for tennis

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