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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. field — for sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. field — a subject
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — to eat
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — humankind
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — a trainer

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