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: spell · roll · pound · stock · bear · court · object · pit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pit — a hole
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — for dogs

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