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: degree · firm · stock · rash · safe · perch · wind · land

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — goods
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — shares
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — decided
  23. perch — the fish
  24. land — ground

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