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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — goods
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cell — in biology
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. firm — steady
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bank — for money
  20. chest — a box
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in a prison

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