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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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