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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — goods
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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