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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — child
  17. chair — a leader
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a music group
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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