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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — help
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. hand — in cards
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — a stick
  24. row — a line

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