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: net · land · ground · stock · file · fine · nail · can

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — a country
  5. net — for catching
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — a position
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — shares
  11. net — after costs
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — goods
  17. file — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a document
  23. land — to come down
  24. file — a line of people

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