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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — in football

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