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: clip · net · fall · stock · suit · key · field · bear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. field — farmland
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — for sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. clip — a video
  23. fall — the season
  24. bear — the animal

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