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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — the time now
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — shares
  24. mate — a friend

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