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: bay · rest · stock · hand · bowl · firm · file · land

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hand — help
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — what's left

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