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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. march — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a cup
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mug — to rob
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — a face
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — shares
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stock — goods

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