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: bass · sharp · clip · stock · wave · stick · tear · root

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — the cause
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tear — to rip
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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