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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chip — for betting
  4. staff — a stick
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rock — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — employees
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wake — a trail

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