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 120 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: rush · capital · squash · lie · stock · band · land · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — to come down
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — money
  12. band — a music group
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a ring
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — hurry
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — a city
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — a big letter

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