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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rule — a law
  11. stock — shares
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — soda
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pop — music

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