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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. field — a subject
  9. roll — a list
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — for sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — farmland
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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