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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chest — a box

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