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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — humankind
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rush — a thrill

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