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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chip — to eat
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. track — a path
  24. season — to add flavour

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