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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to click
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — shares
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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