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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. track — to keep track
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — to handle
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — in music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — an agreement

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