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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a signal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ball — a dance
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — for pool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — to push
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. row — a line
  21. content — happy
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stock — goods

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