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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a city
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. capital — 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