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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — hasty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — goods
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — shares

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