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: bay · lash · wound · leaves · pitch · stock · clip · snap

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitch — completely
  6. clip — a video
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stock — shares
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. clip — to cut

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