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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. content — happy
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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