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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cell — a phone
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — the season
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — of water
  24. swing — in golf

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