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: foot · stock · fan · can · wound · bowl · season · pound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stock — shares
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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