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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stock — goods
  4. kid — to tease
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kid — child
  7. land — a country
  8. club — for golf
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. club — a group
  12. land — ground
  13. net — in sport
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — for catching

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