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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. land — a country
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — a thing
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — music

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