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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pop — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — tied together
  10. field — a subject
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — music
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stock — shares
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — to visit
  24. field — farmland

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