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

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stock — shares
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance

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