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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — shares
  12. last — to go on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — finally
  18. stock — goods
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. drill — a practice
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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