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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — all right
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. field — farmland
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. pop — soda
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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