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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wound — an injury
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — goods
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — there

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