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 120 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: bowl · temple · march · hand · bat · chip · stock · track

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stock — shares
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. march — music
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — the animal

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