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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. stock — goods
  9. tube — a container
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — army training
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — a soup base

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