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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fine — all right
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — certain
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — a penalty

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