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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — a series
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — certain
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ground — the earth
  12. track — a song
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bound — obliged
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ground — a position
  24. stock — goods

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