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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. land — to come down
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. season — of the year
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — a country
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — a hint

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