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 124 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — shares
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. board — a committee
  8. file — a line of people
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. track — a path
  12. capital — a city
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mate — a partner
  22. capital — money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mate — a friend

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