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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — letters
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to confront
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stock — goods
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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