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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stock — goods
  12. clip — a video
  13. chair — a leader
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the vegetable

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