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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — shares
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — for catching
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bound — obliged

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