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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a ring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — shares
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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