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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mine — for digging
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stock — shares

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