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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — a container
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mark — a grade
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  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