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: tear · mug · ground · vault · stock · saw · patient · pitch

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mug — a cup
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tear — to rip

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