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: jam · straw · race · stock · object · pop · club · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. club — a group
  3. race — a contest
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. race — humankind
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — a thing

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