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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — crushed
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — in control
  8. stock — goods
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. charge — electricity

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