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: safe · field · mate · swing · bark · stock · march · wake

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — shares
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. swing — to play on
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — music
  16. march — music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — to breed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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