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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — all right
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. court — of law
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for 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