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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fine — all right
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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