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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — an aim
  6. pop — soda
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. bank — for money

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