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 · bark · straw · swing · net · saw · safe · club

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stock — shares
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. net — in sport

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