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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. game — a match
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — a break
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — the amount
  16. spring — the season
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — goods
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. content — happy

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