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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — to go on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — goods
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — finally
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — final

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