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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — shares
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. land — to come down
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. branch — a division

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