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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — the tool

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