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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — shares
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — low music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — help
  24. bass — the instrument

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