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: roll · field · deal · current · foot · bark · cold · stock

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stock — shares
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. deal — to handle
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. current — happening now
  22. roll — a list
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cold — not warm

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