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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — soda
  4. track — a song
  5. capital — a city
  6. pop — music
  7. track — a path
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — hasty
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — a series
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. capital — a big letter

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