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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — goods
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — a grade
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mate — a partner
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — a division
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — shares

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