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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. last — finally
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. last — to go on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — a series
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rash — hasty

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