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: stock · fan · present · wind · pop · tear · swing · deal

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — there
  5. stock — shares
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tear — to rip
  16. present — a gift
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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