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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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 — shares
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. toast — bread
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. root — of a word
  18. present — a gift
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — the cause
  23. present — there
  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