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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — a leader
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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