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 116 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 · rash · bat · lean · current · pitcher · fine · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — a container
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fine — all right
  23. bat — the animal
  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