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 · perch · arm · bat · tube · pound · lash · mouse

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — goods
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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