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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rush — hurry
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — a container
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — to eat
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — help
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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