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: temple · arm · perch · cold · stock · track · press · content

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stock — goods
  9. content — happy
  10. press — to push
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — the amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cold — not warm
  19. press — a publisher
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — shares

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