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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chip — to eat
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — shares
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stock — goods
  11. mine — for digging
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — boats
  24. dip — to dunk

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