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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — music
  4. court — of law
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — of a king
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — for sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — shares
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — in golf

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