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: content · band · bat · ruler · hide · wave · stock · stick

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a ring
  24. bat — in an idiom

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