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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — goods
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mate — a partner
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — not warm

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