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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — a safe
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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