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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — soda
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — to come down
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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