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: stock · safe · clip · suit · game · rush · tube · wake

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. suit — to fit
  6. clip — a video
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — goods
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — in cards
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. game — a kind of play

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