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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. last — finally
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tear — to rip
  10. last — final
  11. charge — in control
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — to go on
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. club — a group
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. club — for golf
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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