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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — the time now
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rock — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — a gift
  14. row — a line
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — to paddle
  18. degree — temperature
  19. swing — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rock — to move gently

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