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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — in cards
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. land — a country
  15. stand — to bear
  16. land — ground
  17. toast — bread
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — to come down
  22. hand — help
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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