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: wound · pop · firm · land · object · foot · stock · sharp

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — clever
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — ground
  17. pop — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — decided
  22. stock — shares
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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