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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — music
  12. file — a document
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — of the year
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — shares
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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