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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ground — crushed
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — the amount

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