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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mug — a face
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — in sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. season — of the year
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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