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

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — a position
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — of the year
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ground — the earth

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