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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. key — in music
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — for catching
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — the most important part
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tear — to rip
  24. net — in sport

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