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: foot · track · drill · stock · capital · straw · firm · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stock — shares
  3. track — to keep track
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. firm — a company
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. track — a song
  14. drill — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. date — the fruit
  20. capital — a city
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — army training

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