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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. band — a music group
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. band — a ring
  7. dip — to sink
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wax — to grow
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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