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: stock · dip · clip · court · board · drill · snap · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. drill — army training
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. clip — to cut
  8. court — of a king
  9. fork — in a road
  10. court — of law
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a committee
  15. clip — a video
  16. drill — a practice
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to sink

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