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: stock · ground · net · straw · mate · wake · track · temple

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — goods
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a song
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — a position
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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