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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — for sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. field — a subject
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. field — farmland

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