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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bat — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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