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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chest — a box
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — shares

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