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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — a trail
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — a soup base

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