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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. net — for catching
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — shares
  6. present — a gift
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — after costs
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — the season
  16. present — there
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — the time now
  19. mug — to rob
  20. capital — money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — a signal

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