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 · game · stand · march · lash · pass · arm · bark

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — the month
  5. stand — to bear
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pass — a permit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a match
  12. march — music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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