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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — goods
  5. game — wild animals
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — army training
  11. game — a match
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — for digging
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — all right
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — employees

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