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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stock — goods
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — shares
  13. fork — in a road
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. charge — a price
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kid — child

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