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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — goods
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — of a plant

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