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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — ground
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bore — to tire
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. land — to come down
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — a country
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — gave birth

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