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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — goods
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — a trail

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