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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hand — help
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. spring — of water
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spring — the season
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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