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: season · tube · bay · craft · pop · ground · last · stock

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — to visit
  5. last — to go on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — final
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. pop — music
  14. last — finally
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — of the year
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — boats
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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