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: fork · lash · ground · bore · stock · march · patient · race

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. march — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — the month
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to drill

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