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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. press — a publisher
  16. present — there
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stock — shares

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