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: mark · toast · pitcher · wound · rest · rock · cold · stock

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — a stone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — goods
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rock — music

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