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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. clip — a video
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stock — goods

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