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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spell — magic
  15. row — a line
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stock — goods

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