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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. march — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — all right
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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