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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — to paddle
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hand — in cards
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bowl — to roll

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