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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fork — in a road
  8. present — the time now
  9. rock — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. season — of the year
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pop — music

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