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: chest · game · stock · hide · current · dip · perch · bulb

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — a match
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — a box
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — electric
  23. chest — of your body
  24. current — happening now

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