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: bowl · roll · pop · court · chest · stick · rush · stock

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — goods
  6. pop — music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — of a king
  11. chest — a box
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. chest — of your body
  16. roll — a list
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — hurry

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