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 was this ________________ built?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — to shout
  9. drill — army training
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — there
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. present — a gift
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — to eat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — the time now

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