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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — a tool
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — goods
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — for sport
  16. shower — to wash
  17. field — a subject
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fine — all right
  23. field — farmland
  24. bear — the animal

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