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 · fork · stick · roll · kid · bear · wind · craft

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — child
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fork — to eat with

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