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: rock · lash · bowl · sharp · pitch · wax · spell · stock

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — shares
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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