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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. board — a committee
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. degree — temperature
  13. object — to protest
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stock — goods
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — in music
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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