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: staff · bass · stock · hide · bowl · mate · branch · foot

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bass — low music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — a friend
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — a partner
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — the fish

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