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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stock — shares
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — a grade
  23. land — to come down
  24. vault — a safe

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