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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — finally
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — goods
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stock — shares
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — final
  13. spring — of water
  14. rest — a break
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — to go on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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