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 120 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: stock · squash · file · staff · kick · track · sharp · leaves

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — a stick
  22. track — a path
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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