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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. rock — music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — to drop

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