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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitch — a sports field

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