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 116 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — a position
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fork — in a road
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — the earth

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