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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — the fish
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — a line
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — for a bird

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