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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — goods
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. patient — a sick person

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