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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a document
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — shares
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — goods
  24. fall — the season

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