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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — a price
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — a country
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — ground
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stock — a soup base

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