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: march · staff · stock · fork · can · firm · fine · patient

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — a stick
  5. firm — a company
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — steady
  11. fine — all right
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — decided
  20. march — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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