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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. roll — a cake
  6. tube — the underground
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a line
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a list
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — to paddle
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. racket — for tennis

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