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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. present — a gift
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a grade

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