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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — goods
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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