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: tube · stock · cold · present · can · bark · march · safe

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. present — the time now
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — an illness
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. march — music
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cold — not warm
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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