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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. capital — a city
  9. clip — a video
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. capital — money
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — shares

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