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: spell · arm · racket · stock · hand · current · content · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. content — happy
  8. current — of water
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — letters
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. stock — goods
  23. spell — a short time
  24. arm — part of the body

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