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: deal · stock · cold · field · rest · board · craft · bank

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — to get on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cold — an illness
  17. field — a subject
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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