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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. row — a line
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stock — shares
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — a subject
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — for pool
  17. field — farmland
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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