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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — for sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a path
  22. club — a group
  23. track — a song
  24. court — of a king

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