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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. present — a gift
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a hole
  19. present — there
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — goods

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