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: bound · bark · mark · squash · arm · mine · row · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stock — goods
  8. row — a line
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — to crush
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — an explosive

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