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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stock — shares
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spell — a short time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spell — letters

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