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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · tear · foot · race · scale · deal · fan · stock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — shares
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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