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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — the season
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — steady
  7. board — to get on
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — decided
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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