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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. field — a subject
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a committee
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. field — for sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — goods
  20. field — farmland
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. perch — for a bird

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