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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the sport
  5. file — a document
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — shares
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — a position
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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