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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — a position
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — for light

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