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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stock — shares
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. capital — money
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. capital — a city
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mug — a face
  16. content — the amount
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — help
  23. content — happy
  24. hand — in cards

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