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: squash · straw · foot · bound · patient · spring · stock · fan

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. foot — a measure
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — goods

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