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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — a face
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — shares
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. swing — music
  24. mug — to rob

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