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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — to fit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. field — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — a stick
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — farmland
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — a series

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