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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bat — the animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — goods
  19. hand — in cards
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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