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 124 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — in music
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitch — completely
  10. track — a path
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. track — to keep track

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