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: lash · scale · chip · wave · stock · arm · bark · game

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. game — a match
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chip — for betting
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — in music
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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