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: fine · stock · bark · nail · rock · game · clip · present

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fine — high quality
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. present — the time now
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — wild animals
  13. present — there
  14. fine — all right
  15. stock — shares
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — a stone
  21. clip — to cut
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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