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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — high quality
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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