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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — a thing
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. stock — shares

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