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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pit — in a race
  4. court — of a king
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — hasty
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — in music
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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