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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — goods
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wind — moving air
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — a kind of play

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