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: pound · stock · wound · mouse · bear · row · board · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — shares
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bear — the animal

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