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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stock — goods
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — happening now
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — to cut
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — the season
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. clip — a video

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