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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — goods

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