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: snap · ball · prune · stock · safe · field · roll · craft

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. prune — to trim
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ball — a great time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — goods
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. craft — a handicraft

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