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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to click
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — size or range
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — soda
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a signal
  15. season — in sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — a path
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — a soup base

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