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: foot · stick · row · kid · field · stock · bear · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. field — farmland
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kid — child
  12. present — there
  13. stock — shares
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — to paddle

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