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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — shares
  3. scale — size or range
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — a committee
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — a series
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stock — a soup base

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