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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — goods
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of law
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — music
  21. court — for sport
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the instrument

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