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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chest — a box
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. key — in music
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of a king
  9. chest — of your body
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — a price
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. shower — to wash

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