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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — shares
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. land — to come down
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — ground
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — an aim
  23. land — a country
  24. object — a thing

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