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 water is too ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a ring
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cold — an illness
  22. row — a line
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. row — to paddle

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