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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for golf
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. row — a line
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — of the year
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — a group

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