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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — ground
  3. kid — child
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — with your hand

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