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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — happy
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  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