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

Word bank: rash · object · saw · fall · chair · lash · nail · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. object — an aim
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — the season
  23. chair — a leader
  24. object — to protest

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