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

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — to wash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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