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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fall — the season
  3. stock — shares
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. tube — a container
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stock — goods
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — temperature
  23. row — a line
  24. lash — an eyelash

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