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 116 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: patient · wound · ground · squash · cabinet · stock · file · bass

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ground — crushed
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — goods
  12. ground — the earth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the fish
  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