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: bat · deal · bulb · kid · stock · rock · spell · kick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — in football
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. spell — letters
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — goods
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kid — child
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — the animal

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