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: wake · content · chair · kick · stock · cue · lash · mine

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — goods
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. kick — in football
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — happy

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