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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — shares
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. object — an aim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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