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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — a safe
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a song

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