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: squash · toast · sharp · net · hand · stock · court · object

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — of a king
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — shares
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — an aim
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hand — help
  18. sharp — clever
  19. court — for sport
  20. object — to protest
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — bread
  24. net — in sport

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