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: rock · march · kid · club · stock · patient · squash · staff

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — a group
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — a stone

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