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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a path
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — a price
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — the earth

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