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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. present — there
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. shower — rain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — goods
  16. pass — a permit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bat — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. present — a gift
  24. bat — in an idiom

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