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: clip · hand · current · court · cabinet · stock · bulb · drill

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. court — for sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hand — in cards
  12. clip — a video
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of a king
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — help
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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