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 116 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: cap · last · stock · mouse · rock · content · field · can

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. content — the amount
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — finally
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — final

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