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

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. season — of the year
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — money
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — to rest against

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