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: wake · club · craft · bowl · chest · hide · field · stock

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — for golf
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — goods
  10. club — a group
  11. field — farmland
  12. craft — boats
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — a skill
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. field — a subject
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — to keep secret

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