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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. object — a thing
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — a price
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — in control
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. prune — the fruit

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