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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. game — a match
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — shares
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — a face

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