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 124 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stock — goods
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chest — a box
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — a break
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fork — in a road

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