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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — a break
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rest — what's left

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