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: nail · stock · hide · content · patient · cabinet · foot · tear

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — goods
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — happy
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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