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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. mark — a grade
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a trace
  12. land — ground
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stock — goods
  24. season — of the year

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