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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — ground
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stock — shares
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sports field

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