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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. file — a tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. file — a document

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