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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stock — shares
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spring — the season
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. swing — in golf

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