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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. craft — boats
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — in control
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. object — an aim
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — a price
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. object — to protest

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