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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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