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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — for sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lie — to recline

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