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 120 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 · stock · chest · drill · fan · temple · clip · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. stock — goods
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — shares
  24. temple — a place of worship

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