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 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — a division
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — army training
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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