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: kick · bound · stock · mouse · row · mark · chair · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — shares

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