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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. club — a group
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for golf

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