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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ground — the earth
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tear — to rip
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — a soup base

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