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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — shares
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — letters
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pop — music

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