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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — decided
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. firm — steady
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — all right
  15. wind — moving air
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — high quality
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. prune — to trim

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