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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fork — in a road
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — crushed
  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