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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. content — happy
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — the amount
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mine — belonging to me

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