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: bowl · craft · pound · degree · object · cabinet · stock · hand

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. craft — boats
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — goods
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — a weight
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. craft — a skill
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. degree — an amount

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