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: charge · ground · hand · craft · fan · track · stock · saw

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — a position
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — boats
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — a skill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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