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: mark · patient · dip · stock · racket · branch · craft · cold

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cold — an illness
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — to sink
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a skill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cold — not warm

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