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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — a hint
  11. club — for golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. scale — size or range

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