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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spring — of water
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — the season
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — a division
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. land — ground

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