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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. plane — in geometry

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