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: hand · mark · mine · mate · deal · bay · squash · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hand — help
  10. mate — a friend
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stock — shares
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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