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: wind · mug · kick · ground · scale · stock · lash · nail

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stock — shares
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — a position
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. kick — with a leg

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