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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — decided
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — certain
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — in a road
  22. firm — a company
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fork — to eat with

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