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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — shares
  6. game — a match
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — of your body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — to point toward

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