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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stock — shares
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — to handle
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ground — a position
  24. fork — in a road

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