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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fall — the season
  5. land — to come down
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — certain
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. land — a country
  15. stock — shares
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hand — help

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