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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rest — a break
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. toast — bread
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — farmland
  23. scale — in music
  24. field — a subject

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