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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · last · cell · stock · lash · pit · rash · dip

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — in sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — final
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cell — a phone
  14. last — to go on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — for catching
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stock — shares
  21. rash — a series
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — after costs

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