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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stock — shares
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cell — in biology
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — goods
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — a phone
  24. tube — a container

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