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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fine — all right
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. bore — to drill
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — for sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wind — to turn a key

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