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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — a subject
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — to protest
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stock — a soup base

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