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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. present — there
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — a soup base

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