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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — finally
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — of the year
  11. stock — shares
  12. season — in sport
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — the season
  17. last — final
  18. spring — of water
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — to go on
  22. face — to confront
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — to add flavour

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