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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chest — a box
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — goods
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — in sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — after costs

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