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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. drill — army training
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — to bend
  5. drill — the tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. stock — goods
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — of a king
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lean — thin

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