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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. current — of water
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stock — shares
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — happening now
  23. mine — for digging
  24. field — for sport

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