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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — for betting
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — a country
  10. swing — in golf
  11. land — ground
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — to eat
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. current — of water

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