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: swing · chip · bark · mug · content · stock · rest · cell

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mug — a face
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cell — a phone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rest — what's left

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