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: spell · deal · stock · mate · saw · band · rash · row

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a partner
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stock — goods
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — shares
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — magic

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