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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fall — the season
  20. stock — shares
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — a container
  24. chair — a leader

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