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: stock · dip · tube · mark · rash · kick · court · net

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — in football
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rash — hasty
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — a series

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