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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — army training
  17. stock — goods
  18. board — to get on
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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