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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — final
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — a short time
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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