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: key · stick · rest · chip · stock · degree · rush · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — to eat
  8. key — the most important part
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — for betting
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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