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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — a leader
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to drill
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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