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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stock — goods
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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