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: perch · pass · stock · saw · foot · swing · club · mine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stock — shares
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. swing — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — for golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — a permit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. club — a group
  24. pass — to succeed

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