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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. court — of law
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — goods
  16. march — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. chest — a box
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. nail — on a finger

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