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 · fine · stock · jam · content · nail · cell · bat

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. content — happy
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. cell — a phone
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — goods
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

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