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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · stock · last · land · present · bay · sharp · bank

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stock — shares
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. present — there
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — final
  13. land — to come down
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — to crush
  16. land — a country
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. land — ground
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. stock — goods
  24. squash — the 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