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 120 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: track · court · mark · fan · squash · stock · mouse · content

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — to keep track
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. content — happy
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — of a king
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. content — the amount

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