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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. spell — a short time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — to push
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — for money

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