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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stock — goods
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — to crush
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — the arms race
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — shares
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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