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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. game — a match
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — a break
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — a company

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