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 116 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: last · bark · present · mark · stock · stick · band · shower

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. band — a ring
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — finally
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — shares
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — to go on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — a gift
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. last — final
  22. present — the time now
  23. shower — rain
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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