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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — a subject
  3. object — an aim
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — farmland
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — for sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — the season

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