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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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