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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — after costs
  10. face — to point toward
  11. season — of the year
  12. net — in sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — in sport

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