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: mark · fan · tube · drill · stock · bound · hand · coach

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. stock — shares
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — goods
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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