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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hand — in cards
  9. clip — a video
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — a match
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — in control
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — shares

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