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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — shares
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — goods
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. date — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — to visit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. date — on the calendar

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