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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spring — the season
  6. club — a group
  7. race — humankind
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. tube — a container
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — a contest
  17. spring — of water
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. club — for golf

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