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 120 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: scale · hand · stick · bark · stock · band · foot · wound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a music group
  14. stock — goods
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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