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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. land — ground
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — part of the head
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — to confront
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. land — a country
  11. face — to point toward
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. land — to come down
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

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