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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — shares
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — crushed

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