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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stock — shares
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. band — a music group
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — in music
  22. band — a ring
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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