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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chest — a box
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stock — goods
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a match
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — a series
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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