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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — goods
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — child
  20. stem — to come from
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. suit — clothes

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