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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — humankind
  3. stock — shares
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. race — a contest
  7. capital — a city
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. race — the arms race
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a match

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