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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stock — shares
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a path
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mouse — for a computer

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