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: jam · foot · dip · wind · track · row · stock · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a line
  7. stock — shares
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — to paddle
  10. foot — a measure
  11. track — to keep track
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — goods
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — for light

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