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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — a series
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — a group
  7. tube — a container
  8. rash — hasty
  9. club — for dancing
  10. object — an aim
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hand — in cards
  18. spell — magic
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — to protest
  22. club — for golf
  23. hand — help
  24. court — of law

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