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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. last — final
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — a thing
  9. last — finally
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — to protest
  12. rock — music
  13. club — a group
  14. last — to go on
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — a series
  24. club — for dancing

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