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 116 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: bear · wound · tube · stock · rest · kid · content · fine

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — shares
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — a container
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — the amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kid — to tease

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