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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cold — the Cold War

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