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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — high quality
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — shares
  5. net — after costs
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — employees

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