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 120 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: rash · chip · swing · bass · bore · band · land · stock

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — a series
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — a country
  19. swing — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. swing — in golf

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