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: mug · jam · date · object · stock · kick · mine · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mug — to rob
  3. date — the fruit
  4. object — a thing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — goods
  8. mine — for digging
  9. kick — in football
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — shares
  24. date — on the calendar

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