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: foot · date · rash · swing · stock · lash · face · toast

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. toast — bread
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. date — the fruit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stock — shares

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