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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — to go on
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — goods
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — soda
  12. wake — a trail
  13. race — a contest
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. race — humankind
  17. spell — a short time
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — for a lock

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