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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — goods
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — shares
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — a division

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