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: mouse · ball · stock · cabinet · sharp · last · ground · straw

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. last — final
  14. stock — shares
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. last — to go on
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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