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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — for golf
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — a group
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. press — to push

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