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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — a break
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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