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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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