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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — shares
  22. bat — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stock — goods

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