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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for dancing
  14. season — of the year
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stock — shares
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for golf

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