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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — a law
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rule — government

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