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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a song
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — goods
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a path
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — shares
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — an aircraft

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