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: track · stock · straw · lie · club · scale · coach · game

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — a match
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. scale — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for golf
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — shares
  24. lie — to recline

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