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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a line
  4. swing — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — to play on
  8. row — to paddle
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. swing — in golf
  12. field — a subject
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a signal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. field — farmland
  22. capital — money
  23. cue — a hint
  24. field — for sport

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